Safety wallet for waist belt



United States Patent inventor George J. Callahan 315 Ovington Ave., Brooklyn, New York 1 1209 Appl. No. 753,669

Filed Aug. 19, 1968 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 SAFETY WALLET FOR WAIST BELT 7 Claims, 12 Drawing Figs.

0.8. CI. 224/26, 150/38 Int. Cl A45c 1/06 Field of Search 224/263, 26, 5.21, 5, 26.5, 26.7, 17, 21; 150/38, 39, 37, 47

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,165,746 12/1915 Borg 150/38 1,558,213 10/1925 Atkins 224/26(3)UX 2,442,621 6/1948 Silverstein.. 224/26(3)UX 2,774,404 12/1956 l-loughton... 150/38 3,272,412 9/1966 Antonious 224/21X Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Attorney-Polachek & Saulsbury ABSTRACT: A safety wallet or purse for money, keys and other small articles is formed with a plurality of panels so that it can be folded around a waist belt. Snap fasteners detachably engage the panels together to keep a compartment in the wal let doubly locked. The waist belt may have snap fasteners engaging mating snap fasteners on the wallet to prevent lateral movement of the wallet on the belt and to provide a third lock for the compartment.

Patented Nov. 24, 1970 3,542,23

Sheet 1 .012

Fig. 4.

mi 7 7) 3 7 66 my 1 /d I) C 40v 0 0 h 4 a4- The invention relates to the art of wallets, purses and similar holders of small personal articles.

Heretofore persons engaged in strenuous activities such as sports played in uniform, swimmers in bathing suits and others wearing garments in which it is not practical to install pockets have lacked in a convenient way of carrying a small wallet or purse. It has been proposed heretofore to provide a belt with a built-in money compartment. Such a compartment generally has a single flap engaged over'the top of the compartment. If the flap accidentally opens, the contents of the compartment are free to spill out. A further objection to abelt witha built-in money compartment is that the compartment cannot be detached for use apart from the belt and the belt cannot be worn without the attached built-in money compartment.

The present invention overcomes the above and other difficulties and disadvantages by providing a safety wallet or purse which can be slipped on a closed waist belt and which can be detached from the closed belt having to open the belt. The wallet has a plurality of foldable panels engaged by snap fasteners so that a locked compartment for small articles is locked at second time when the wallet is engaged on the belt.

When snap fasteners are provided on the belt and a panel of the wallet, the compartment is in effect This insures security of articles in the wallet which cannot open accidentally even though the wearer engages in strenuous sports while wearing the wallet on a waist belt.

Various objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification together with the drawing forming a part thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a wallet embodying the invention shown mounted on a belt, parts of which are broken away. v

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the wallet in an open position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the wallet in open position.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3. I

FIG. 5 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3 showing the reverse side ofthe wallet.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view ofthe wallet with compartment closed shown at a stage in the procedure for mounting the wallet on a belt. 4

FIG. 7 is a further elevational view of the wallet shown at a further stage in the procedure for mounting on the belt.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing another wallet at a stage in mounting on another belt.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 3 showing still another wallet.

FIG. II is a view similar to FIGS. 6 and 8, showing the wallet of FIG. 10 at a stage in mounting on still another belt.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the wallet and belt of FIG. 11 with wallet shown in a further stage in mounting on a belt.

Referring first to FIGS. l--7, there is shown a wallet having a generally rectangular form when open. It is made of flexible sheet material such as plastic, leather, cloth or the like. It

has a flexible wall 22 formed with a first narrow rectangular flap 24 at one end, a first rectangular panel 26 joined to flap 24 by fold 27, a second panel 28 joined to panel 26 by fold 29, and an end flap 30 which may have oblique corners 32. The second flap 30 is secured by fold 31 to panel 28. Secured to lateral edges of panel 28 and along transverse fold 29 between panels 26 and 28, is a rectangular panel 38. Panel 38 is secured to panel 28 at its lateral edges 34'and near fold 29 to form three seams 40, 4 1 and 42. The seams are formed by stitching, cementing. heat sealing or the like. Edge 44 of panel 38 is free from panel 28 to provide an opening into compartment 45 defined between panels 28 and 38. In this compartment can be stored money, keys or other small personal articles.

locked a third time.

Compartment 45 can be closed by folding flap 30 on fold 31 over panel 38. A centrally located snap fastener stud 50 secured to flap 30 will engage with a mating snap fastener socket 52 secured to panel 38 near edge 44. A notch 54 can be provided in edge 44 to facilitate separating panels 28, 38 to open the compartment.

A pair of snap fastener studs 55 are provided near corners 56 of panel 24. The studs face forwardly when the wallet is open and face inwardly when the wallet is closed. Studs 55 engage with mating snap fastener sockets 60 located near corners 62 of the outer side of panel 28 near fold 31 and flap 30.

FIG. 6 shows the wallet placed behind at waist belt 65. The belt can be closed by engaging apertured free end 66 on buckle 68 at the other end 69 of the belt. The wallet can be mounted on the belt while it is closed as shown and worn on the body of a person. The wallet is disposed with flap or panel 24 uppermost above top edge 70 of the belt. Panel 26 is behind the belt. Folds 27, 28 and 29 are parallel to top and bottom edges 70, 71 of the belt. Panels 28 and 38 are below the belt and the compartment 45 is closed by flap 30 which is held engaged on panel 38 by the engaged snap fastener members 50, 52.

FIG. 7 shows the panels 28, 38 folded up on fold 29 in front of the belt to disposed sockets 60 in forwardly facing position. Flap 24 is ready to be folded down on fold 27 as indicated by arrows A. This will form a loop over the belt. The snap fastener members 55 and 60 will be engaged together to complete the mounting of the wallet on the belt as shown in FIG. 1.

It will be understood from an examination of the drawing that compartment 45 is locked closed a first time by flap 30 and then is closed a second time since flap 24 extends over fold 31. Thus, even if flap 30 opens accidentally, the compartment 45 will still stay closed.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show another wallet 20 A in which parts corresponding tothose of wallet 20 are identically numbered. Wallet 20 A has a double snap fastener member 50 on flap 30. This snap fastener member has stud 58a on the inner side of the flap as in wallet 30 and another stud 50a on the outer side of the flap. Stud'50a' can engage with either one of two snap fastener sockets 72 located one below the other on belt a near its upper edge 70.

It will be apparent from an inspection of FIGS. 8 and 9, that stud 50a will engage with one of sockets 72 when the panels 28, 38 closed by flap 30 are folded up as indicated by arrows. This will locate fastener members 60 on the outer side of panel 28 in a forward position for engagement by fastener members 55 on flap 24 when this flap is folded down over'panel 28. The engagement of fastener stud 50a with one of sockets 72 provides a safety lock or hold for the wallet so that even if flap 24 opens the wallet will not slip off the belt and the compartment 45 will not open. While fastener members 50a and 72 are engaged, the compartment 45 will remain closed even if fastener members 50, 52 accidentally open behind flap 30.

FIGS. l0, l1 and 12 show another wallet 20B in which parts corresponding to those of wallets 20 and 20A are identically numbered. Wallet 20B is provided with a pair of snap fastener studs 80 on panel 38. They are located near flap 30 and face forwardly when the wallet is open as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Belt 65b is provided with a pair of spaced snap fastener sockets 82 near upper edge of the belt. These sockets are engaged by studs 80 when the panels 28, 38 are folded up on fold 31 at the bottom edge 71 of the belt. As in wallet 20A the compartment 45 is triply locked or closed since flap 30 forms the first closure. Then by engagement of studs 80 to sockets 82 flap 30 is closed between panel 28 and the front side of the belt to form a second closure. Finally, the engagement of flap 24 to panel 28 by attaching snap fastener members 55 and 60 together forms a third safety closure for compartment 45.

If desired, additional pairs of snap fastener sockets 72' can be mounted on the belt 65a and spaced from sockets 72 so that the wallet 20A can be secured in different positions along the belt. Similarly, further pairs of snap fastener sockets 82a 3 can be provided along belt 655 in positions spaced from sockets 82 for securing wallet 208 in other positions along the belt.

An important feature of the invention is the facility for mounting a wallet with snap closed compartment to a belt which is closed around the waist of a wearer. Similarly, the wallet can be removed while the belt is closed. For rapid removable of the closed wallet 20, the belt 65 can be opened at buckle 68 and the belt can be pulled out of the passage defined between the panels 26 and 38.

The wallet will fulfill a long felt need for a simple, foolproof way of keeping small personal articles safely on the person while engaged in strenuous activities. Instead of snap fasteners, other types of self-engaging fasteners, such as tabs of bands and loops known as Velcro fasteners, or other pressure sensitive self-adhering members can be used.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 10, there are provided spaced holes 26' through which a safety pin can be easily extended to attach the wallet directly to the clothing of the wearer.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the best embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

1 claim:

l. A wallet for carrying small articles safely on a waist belt, comprising a flat rectangular flexible sheet having a narrow rectangular flap at one end, a first rectangular panel joined by a first fold to said flap, a second rectangular panel joined by a second fold to the first panel, and a second narrow flap joined by a third fold to the second rectangular panel; a third rectangular panel joined at its lateral edges to lateral edges of the second panel and joined at one end edge to the second panel near the second fold, said third panel having a free other end edge at the third fold and second flap to provide an opening into a compartment defined between the second and third panels; first fastener means on the first flap, second fastener means on the second panel, third fastener means on the third panel and fourth fastener means on the second flap, whereby folding the second flap over the second panel and engaging the third and fourth fastener means together effects a first closure of the compartment, and whereby the wallet can then be engaged on said belt by abutting one side of the first panel to one side of the belt, then folding the second panel and third panel upwardly on the second fold to abut the other side of the belt, then folding the first flap down over the second panel and engaging the first and second fastener means together to effect a second closure of the compartment, and a fifth fastener means on one of the flap and panel members, engageable with a mating sixth fastener means on the belt to keep the wallet from shifting along the belt and to define a third closure for the compartment.

2. A wallet as defined'by claim 1, wherein the first and second fastener means arepairs of snap fastener members, and wherein the third fastener means is an individual snap fastener member, and wherein the fourth and fifth fastener means is a snap fastener member with double stud.

3. A wallet as defined by claim 1, said fifth fastener means being mounted on said third panel.

4. A wallet as defined by claim 3, wherein the first, second and fifth fastener means are pairs of snap fastener members, and wherein the third and fourth fastener means are individual mating snap fastener members.

5. A wallet as defined by claim 1, wherein the sixth fastener means on the belt are spaced along the belt for selectively locating the wallet at different positions along the belt.

6. A wallet as defined by claim 3, wherein the sixth fastener means on the belt are spaced along the belt for selectively locating the wallet at different positions along the belt.

7. A wallet as defined by claim 1, wherein said sixth fastener means is a pair of snap fastener members spaced transversely across the belt for adjustably engaging the fifth fastener means with one of the last named snap fastener members. 

